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Keeping the Faith

Keeping the Faith. The Living Teaching Office of the Catholic Church. The Direction of Intention. My God, give me the grace to perform this action with you and through love for you. In advance, I offer to you all the good that I will do

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Keeping the Faith

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  1. Keeping the Faith The Living Teaching Office of the Catholic Church

  2. The Direction of Intention • My God, give me the grace • to perform this action with you • and through love for you.In advance, I offer to you • all the good that I will do • and accept all the difficulty I may meet therein. • St. Ann, Pray for us. • St. Francis de Sales, Pray for us

  3. Overview • Definitions • Basis in Scripture • The Church Fathers • Infallibility • The Conscience • Submission of the Will • and Intellect

  4. MagisteriumHelpful Definitions • Magisterium: The teaching authority of the Church exercised by the Pope and Bishops • It’s Purpose: To preserve the Deposit of Faith as handed down from Christ to his Church • Living Faith – Open to the deepening of understanding of revealed doctrines The Role of a Bishop: to teach, to sanctify, to govern the faithful

  5. MagisteriumHelpful Definitions • Ordinary Magisterium: of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him teach the faithful the truth to believe, the charity to practice, the beatitude to hope for • Examples: • The defense of all human life from conception to natural death • The Social Teaching of the Catholic Church • The rights of workers, the right to just wage • The teaching on Guardian Angels

  6. MagisteriumHelpful Definitions • Extraordinary Magisterium refers to a special exercise of their teaching office by either the Pope and bishops together, or the Pope alone, gives a definitive judgment on something that was once part of the Ordinary Magisterium. • Example: • Dogma of the Assumption in 1950 • Council of Nicea in 325 defined the Divinity and Humanity of Christ in ONE person

  7. The Source of Magisterium • Sacred Scripture • “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt. 16, 1819). • At the Last Supper: • “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.” (Jn. 14, 26). • “When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth” (Jn. 16,13). • St. Paul, knowing that the truth would remain in the Church, speaks of 'the Church of the living God, which upholds the truth and keeps it safe' (1 Tim. 3, 15). Although individuals go astray, therefore, the Church will not. • St. Peter in his warning: 'we must be most careful to remember that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual' (2 Pet. 1. 20).

  8. The Understanding of Magisterium The Church Fathers • Fourth Pope, St. Clement, 96 AD • Instruction that if these (Bishops) would die, other accredited persons should succeed them in their office • St. Ignatius of Antioch, A.D. 107 • exhorts them: 'Follow your bishop, every one of you, as obediently as Jesus Christ followed the Father' (Smyrneans, no. 8).

  9. The Understanding of Magisterium The Church Fathers • St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons • “It is necessary to obey the presbyters in the Church-those who possess the succession from the Apostles; those who, together with the succession of the episcopate, have received the certain gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father.” • What is meant by succession? The ecclesiastical tradition from the Apostles, and the preaching of the truth that has come down to us.

  10. Dogma of Infallibility • It is a dogma of the Catholic Church that the Church is divinely kept from the possibility of error in her definitive teaching on faith and morals. ( Not Science or Art or Medicine) • Pope alone or Pope in college with Bishops, or Ecumenical Council and assent of Pope. • Examples: • The Resurrection of Christ (Body and Soul) • The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist • True Humanity and True Divinity in one Person

  11. Infallibility • Other INFALLIBLE Teachings that are NOT REVEALED in Scripture • Theological conclusions -- A conclusion drawn by applying a truth of reason to a doctrine. • Example—Man's will is free; Christ is true man; therefore Christ's human will was free. • Dogmatic facts -- The truth of certain historical facts • Example: Validity of a papal election. Canonization of Saints • Truths of reason or philosophy -- The power of the human mind to know truth, the validity and meaning of concepts such as "nature," "person," "substance” • Example: Life begins at the moment of conception. Marriage between a man and a woman.

  12. What teachings can change because they were never part of the Magisterium • Practice or Discipline • Number of candles used at Mass • Abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent • Wearing Veils in Church • Married Clergy • Liturgical Laws – Vestments - language • Cremation

  13. What teachings can change because they were never part of the Magisterium • Theological Definitions • Limbo • Usury (charging interest on money) • Separated brethren v. Heretics • Slavery (payment for debt / War) Chattel Slavery was Always condemned! • Religious Freedom (Religion of the King – Religion of the people)

  14. The Will and the Intellect • The Intellect : Faculty of the Soul which allows us to choose between – to discern between the lesser functions of the Soul • Instinct, emotions, feelings, appetites • The Will: Highest level of the Soul. It is where consent to something is given. • The Will must be “educated” Knowledge dictates that decisions of the will are based on understanding and information and not on the lesser faculties, i.e.. Emotions or feelings.

  15. Our Conscience • "Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. • Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment. • For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God. • His conscience is man's most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.“ 47 C C C

  16. Our Conscience • 1782 Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. "He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters."53 • 1787 Man is sometimes confronted by situations that make moral judgments less assured and decision difficult. But he must always seriously seek what is right and good and discern the will of God expressed in divine law.

  17. Our Conscience • Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom. • Understanding that CONSCIENCE • Can not act contrary to Natural or Divine Law • Must be informed by the teachings of Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church • One may never do evil so that good may result from it.

  18. Our Submission of our Will and Intellect • Submission (assent) – under the same mission • Not blindly submissive (under) to but in full cooperation with. • Christians act together. We are not individuals acting alone…we act in Communion with each other • ASSENT REQUIREDThese doctrines require of all members of the faithful the assent of theological faith, based on the authority of the Word of God (de fide credendi). Whoever obstinately places them in doubt or denies them falls under the censure of heresy

  19. Examples of what we Submit to: • · The Creed and its Christological dogmas· The various Marian dogmas· The doctrine of the institution of the sacraments by Christ and their efficacy with regard to grace· The doctrine of the real and substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist· The sacrificial nature of the Eucharistic celebration· The foundation of the Church by the will of Christ

  20. Examples of what we Submit to: • · The doctrine on the primacy and infallibility of the Roman Pontiff· The doctrine on the existence of original sin· The doctrine on the immortality of the spiritual soul· The immediate recompense after death· The absence of error in the inspired sacred texts· The doctrine on the grave immorality of direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being.

  21. Can a Catholic be dismissive of the Ordinary Magisterium? • The Catechism of the Catholic Church • Apostolic Letters and Papal Encyclicals • Ex. HUMANAE VITAE • The Body of Social Teaching • Pastoral Exhortations of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops • Pastoral Letters from an Individual Bishop • Answer: NO – We are under the same mission

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